


Just a Little Change

by WritingIsMyCoffee



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Character study? Yeah it sort of is, F/M, I laughed really hard writing most of this, This is silly and fluffy but a little angsty towards the end, little bit of swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 04:15:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11501568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingIsMyCoffee/pseuds/WritingIsMyCoffee
Summary: After decades of acting and looking the same age, Barry decides he wants to add a little change to his appearance.Lup is fine with this, until he comes back from a shopping trip with Magnus with a conjured mustache.





	Just a Little Change

**Author's Note:**

> FIRST OFF THIS IS DUMB but I can't stop laughing at the idea of Barry having facial hair and Lup just H A T I N G I T
> 
> This fic was partly inspired by my sleep-deprived brain and also the time my mom told me the story of how my dad shaved his goatee and it scared her. I had a lot of fun writing this and now all I need is a dozen pictures of Barry with a mustache. It's just so funny to me and I don't know wHY

The subtle changes in Barry’s persona start to occur around their sixtieth cycle.

Lup catches on to differences rather quickly. It’s during a shared meal between their crewmates, one of the only times of the day when the seven of them truly get to enjoy each other’s company with friendly conversation, that she finds Barry trying to avoid joining a discussion. His eyes remain downcast as he picks at his food, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips. He barely reacts to Magnus laughing so hard his drink comes gushing out of his nose or Taako casting Disguise Self to imitate him.

His seclusion is unusual, even for the second-most introverted member of their party. Lup makes sure to ask Barry about it later, but he simply brushes his behavior off as, “Sleep deprivation.”

Another change she notices is how Barry seems to have an eye out for certain types of people whenever they travel to a populated plane. She finds his gaze lingering on passing figures with distinguishable features. Of them has something different about them; whether it’s their hair, clothing, or possibly natural beauty Barry is drawn to them like a moth to a flame. More than once, Lup has to draw his attention back to their current objective. Each time she does, her insecurities chip away a small part of her.

The worst change, however, is how Barry acts around her. Namely late at night, when it’s just the two of them alone in their cabin, strategizing over how to defeat The Hunger or just spending time with one another. He is never fully present, always drifting off to some far away place Lup just can’t follow him to. Whenever she tries to talk to him, his response is either too short or a soft grunt. Sometimes he doesn’t reply at all.

It’s easy to ignore for a few days. Then a few weeks. But once the months start to roll by, Lup can no longer tolerate the uneasy churning in her stomach or the lump in her throat whenever Barry pushes her away.

The two of them are sitting on their bed, struggling to piece together some solid plan for how they are going to retrieve the Light of Creation this cycle, when Barry cuts off her suggestion with an agitated sigh.

That’s when Lup finally snaps. “What the hell is your problem?!”

Barry jumps. “What?”

“ _ I said _ , what the hell is your  _ problem?!  _ Barry, you’ve been acting  _ really strange _ ever since the beginning of this cycle. Ignoring everybody, stalking people in town, not communicating with me? What happened?!”

“I-I don’t-” Barry stutters.

“ _ Don’t _ try to make excuses,  _ Barold _ . Stop hiding from me and tell me what’s fucking  _ wrong! _ ” Lup takes a deep breath, her hands clenched into fists by her sides. “Is...is it something I did, Barry? Was it something I said?”

Barry’s expression sharpens. “What? Wait-no no no no no! Lup, it’s not...it’s not you, I  _ swear _ .”

He reaches over and puts a hand over hers and all of a sudden, Lup is fighting back tears. “Then what is it?” she mutters.

Barry looks anywhere but at Lup, his hand fidgeting against hers. “I...it’s stupid. It’s not even that big of a deal now that I think about it.”

“Well, it is now.” The words come out harsher than Lup intended them to.

Barry releases a heavy sigh. “I’m...I’m tired of all... _ this _ .” He uses his free hand to gesture at himself.

Lup blinks. “... _ this _ ?”

“Yeah,  _ this _ ,” Barry replys, his face growing red.

“Barry, honey, you’re gonna have to do a better job to explaining it to me than that.”

“I know,” Barry nods. “I guess...Lup, we’ve been the same age for-what, sixty years? That’s...that’s such a long time. A-And I just...everything we do during each cycle is the same exact thing. Enter the plane, find a place to land, find The Light, wait for The Hunger. Nothing ever changes. It’s  _ infuriating _ , and we have no idea when this search is going to come to an end. I’m sick of it. And, honestly?” He pauses. “...I’m sick of myself.”

Lup’s eyebrows knit together. “Why is that?”

Barry laughs dryly. “C’mon, Lup, I’m...I’m such a wimp-”

“Not true-”

“But it is, though! I-I’m not a strong fighter like you or Magnus. I can’t heal people like Merle or make decisions on the spot like Davenport or Lucretia can. Heh...I can’t talk as openly to someone like your brother can. You just...you all make what you do seem so easy. You’re all so confident in yourselves. Now, I’m over eighty years old and I still have trouble talking to strangers.”

Any remaining hostility inside of Lup vanishes in an instant. “Oh, Barry...I had no idea.”

“‘s okay,” barry mumbles. “I never said anything. Sorry for making you worry.”

“I forgive you, but... _ babe _ . You have no reason to be ashamed of yourself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with all.. _.this _ .” She gestures at Barry and he chuckles weakly. “ You seriously think the rest of us don’t doubt ourselves once in awhile? As amazing as I seem-and I know that I am pretty _ fucking amazing _ -I...I have days, too, when I feel like I’m a failure. Like..I’m going to let you all down or come up short.” Barry looks up at her. “But I know that no matter what, at the end of the day we are still a family. I know that I am loved-that  _ you _ love me-and that’s enough to keep me going...does that help?”

Barry smiles softly. “Yeah...yeah that helps a little. Still...I think I need a  _ little _ change.”

Lup’s heart seizes up. “W-What did you have in mind?”

“Uh, I-well...” Barry fumbles with his words and Lup is suddenly trembling. “Are you okay?”

“Do you want to spend time apart?” she blurts out before she can stop herself.

“Huh?  _ No! _ Gods no, Lup. I can’t live without you.” He scoots himself closer to her and cups her face in his hand. “Why-why would you think that?”

“I...I don’t know,” Lup admits. “You’ve been staring at strangers for so long I thought that maybe you were sick of me-”

“That would  _ never happen _ .”

“Then what’s with all the...stalking or whatever?” she asks.

“I was thinking-and it wouldn’t be permanent since our bodies reset themselves every year-but...I was thinking about changing my look. Maybe getting a haircut or changing my wardrobe. Y’know, small things but noticeable enough to make a difference. Everyone we pass down there on the planet has this quirk to them about their appearance and...I don’t really think I have one. What do you think?”

“So, like out with the old Barry and in with the new?” Lup asks.

“Not entirely, just...one thing,” Barry answers. “I don’t think I’m brave enough to do a full one-eighty and turn myself into a completely different person. All I can handle is something small."

“Well, if you think it’ll help,” Lup squeezes his hand, “then I say go for it.” Barry beams at her. “But don’t get too crazy, okay? I don’t wanna see you walk onto the ship one day with a tattoo of a gerblin on your face or something. While as hilarious as that would be….we sleep in the same bed and I’d have to look at that ugly thing for the rest of the year. Capiche?”

“Right, yeah, I gotcha. No gerblin tattoos. Got it.” Barry leans forward and presses a kiss to her lips. “Thanks babe.”

“Anytime, sweetie.”

 

“Seriously? That’s what he’s been acting all mopey about? A mid-life crisis?” Taako gracefully flips over the pancake sizzling in his frying pan and sets it back on the burner.

“I mean, I guess I understand why he’d want a little change,” Lup admits. “Starting every cycle in the same physical condition as the first one was gonna get to him eventually.”

“Yeah, because he’s a human,” Taako points out. “In regular terms, he’d probably be under the earth by this point in his life.”

“That’s-” Lup pauses. “Wow...I never thought about that…” The seven of them have had the same visceral appearance for so long, she forgot that there was even a difference in species between them. At this point, it doesn’t really matter anymore. The thought embeds itself within Lup’s memory.

“Still, why now, though?” Taako asks. “He could have cracked ages ago.”

“I don’t know,” Lup shrugs. “Something about this plane has gotten him thinking about his image.”

“Well, yeah,” Taako scoffs. He slides the pancake out of its pan and sets it on the plate in front of Lup. “Have you not been paying attention? The people here are obsessed with beauty. Natural and artificial.”

“Like you?”

“Hardy-har-har,” Taako rolls his eyes. “You’re just as into your appearance as I am.”

“Yeah, but I don’t moisturize every inch of my skin every morning like you do.”

“My point  _ is _ ,” Taako continues, “there are a hundred beauty shops all over this world. There’s a least a dozen in the town just a few miles away from here. Ya boy just wants a makeover like everybody else. Hell, I should go down there for a day and gjust go hog _wild_.”

“Huh...don’t know how I missed that. I guess that sounds pretty harmless…” Lup mumbles, taking a bite of her pancake. It’s as fluffy as a cloud, just the way she likes it. “By the way, if you go down there one day and come back with a perm, I will disown you as my brother.”

Taako gasps, putting a hand over his heart. “Rude! I think it’d look  _ fucking great _ with a perm!”

“Koko, I’m your sister. And because of that, it’s my duty to make sure you don’t ever,  _ ever _ get a perm.”

“Fine,” Taako groans, rolling his eyes. “How’s your cake?”

“It’s perfect, as always.”

“Hell yeah.”

 

When Lup wakes up, the sun is high in the sky and Barry is gone.

Years of losing each other too early in the cycle and waiting by herself have her jumping out of bed and running to the main deck. She doesn’t care who sees her only wearing one of Barry’s shirts and a pair of socks. In her moment of panic, all she can think about is finding him.

Lucretia is the only one on the deck when Lup races into the scene. Deep in focus, she nearly throws her journal at Lup in shock. “Lup? Are you alright?”

“Where’s Barry? Where...where is everybody?”

Lucretia’s expressions softens. She closes her journal and tucks it underneath her arm. “It’s alright. Barry went down planetside with Magnus. Everyone else is still on the ship. We’re okay, Lup. You just slept in.”

“Oh.” Lup looks down at the deck, rubbing the back of her neck and hoping that the heat on her cheeks doesn’t show. “Sorry. Just...spooked myself a little bit.”

Lucretia nods. “I understand.”

They stand where they are, in quiet, the only noise to be heard coming from the wildlife surrounding the Starblaster. Gradually, Lup’s heartbeat slows down to a moderate pace and her lungs start taking more air.

“Um...they should be back soon,” Lucretia says, ending the awkward silence between them. “Do you want to wait with me?”

Lup smiles. “Yeah, sure. That’d be nice.”

Leaning over the railing surrounding the deck, Lup finds herself becoming entranced in Lucretia’s findings of this planet’s creatures. According to her observations, even the animals here have a certain element of elegance to them that stands out. Lucretia wonders if these effects are natural or are the cause of a certain class of magic.

Their debate is ended by a loud, boisterous voice calling out to them from below the ship. “HEY, WE’RE BACK! COULD SOMEONE LOWER THE LADDER PLEASE?”

Lup leans over the railing and sees the small outlines of Magnus and Barry. A sense of relief washes over her. “I’LL GET IT!” she quickly yells back, already running to unravel the rope ladder over the side.

A few minutes later, Magnus and Barry are back on the Starblaster, a hundred percent safe and sound. Before Barry is even five feet away from the rope ladder, Lup already has her arms around his neck. He stumbles backwards, nearly losing his balance, before finding his footing again. “Good morning Lup!” he laughs.

Lup tightens her hold around him. “Wake me up next time before you leave,” she whispers into his ear.

“Okay. I’m sorry,” Barry whispers back. He presses his face into the crook of her neck. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Lup lets go of him and stands back, her hands now on his shoulders. “So how was your-?”

Lup’s entire train of thought is derailed in an instant once her eyes land on Barry’s “One New Thing.” Sitting just above his upper lip and below his nose are two thin strips of hair that she knows were definitely  _ not _ there last night.

“Barry...what the fuck is on your face?”

“Huh? Oh! This?” He points proudly at his newly grown mustache. “I bought a potion from this facial hair shop. I think this is the change I’ve been needing! So, what do you think?”

Lup is reeling from the sight in front of her. The mustache is small, and would be unnoticable from a far away distance, but not up close. There isn’t a hint of stubble surrounding it, making it seem as if it has been well kept for some time now. It looks so fake and yet  _ so real _ at the same time Lup thinks she’s going to throw up.

“It’s...great, honey!” she smiles, internally kicking herself. “You look like a brand new you!”

Barry is shining with joy. “Ha! I knew it was a good idea!”

“Yeah, after I spent ten minutes convincing you to actually do it instead of walking away,” Magnus reminds him. Lup shoots him a cold stare that wipes his shit-eating grin right off his face.

“I’m glad you did. I think I’m in love with this look more than my old one!”

Lup wants to die. This is somehow worse than a gerblin tattoo.

 

Barry  _ loves _ his newly acquired facial hair.

It is now guaranteed that whenever Lup wanders into their shared bathroom that he’ll be admiring himself in the mirror like Taako does whenever he gets a haircut. During meals, he always ends up talking to Magnus about hair care techniques, even if his mustache is barely a centimeter thick. And he’s always touching his upper lip and smiling like an idiot. As adorable as it is, Lup just can’t get over how much this change bothers her.

It’s not that Barry’s new stache is unattractive. While it may suit a person with less of a Fantasy Tom Arnold face, Lup has to admit that it certainly doesn’t look  _ that  _ horrible. Overtime, she has grown to tolerate its existence and ignore how it tickles her face whenever they kiss.

But that feeling of utter dread and frustration she feels whenever she sees it just will not leave her.

_ It’s just facial hair _ , she tells herself.  _ Get over it and move on. It’ll be gone in a couple months. _

She never listens to herself.

There’s something about the stache that makes her furious beyond belief. And the fact that’s she’s all hot and bothered about something so small only makes her angrier. Normally when she this enraged, the fate of an entire world has been thrusted onto her shoulders. Lup tries her best to never let herself lose her temper without absolute reason to.

But this  _ fucking mustache _ is going to be the one thing that breaks her? She is not going to lose her cool over being forced to sacrifice a race of people or watching her brother, lover, and friends die over and over again?

Nope, she is actually going insane because of Barry’s. Fucking.  _ Mustache _ .

 

“So, have you told Barold to shave his whiskers yet?” Taako asks her several nights later as the two of them are cooking.

“I  _ can’t _ ,” Lup insists. “You’ve been how happy he is about it. I can’t take that away from him.”

“Yeah, but, Lulu-” Taako slams the knife in his hands onto the cutting board below it, scattering chopped carrots everywhere- “It’s  _ hideous! _ ”

“I KNOW! It’s horrible!”

“Then why haven’t you done something about it?!”

“Uh...well...it could look at  _ worse _ …” Lup mumbles, turning her attention to the fish currently frying in the pan in front of her. “It’s not hurting anybody.

“Yes it is! It’s highly offensive to our  _ eyes!  _ It. Needs. To.  _ GO! _ ”

“I can’t just tell him to get rid of it!” Lup protests. “He’ll be heartbroken!”

“Tssk, tssk, tssk.” Taako picks up his knife and continues cutting up the vegetables on the cutting board. “Love has made you soft, sis.”

“It has _not!_ One day, you’re gonna find the right man and you’ll understand the dilemma I’m dealing with.”

Taako scoffs. “Yeah, like that’ll ever happen.”

“It _ will _ . One day. You can’t expect to be that drop-dead gorgeous and never get hitched.”

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Taako laughs. “I don’t think marriage is in cha boy’s cards. A few dates I’m okay with. Owning a house with a white picket fence and a golden retriever is a  _ whole  _ ‘nother story.”

Lup shrugs. “It could happen.”

“In your dreams. Sorry to crush your fantasies about being a wicked cool aunt.”

“Maybe our secret third sibling will help make that dream a reality.”

Taako chuckles. “Ah yes, Enchilada, our long-lost triplet. Maybe. It's the only way it would work out.”

 

The next time Barry leaves the Starblaster, Lup makes sure to go with him in case he decides to come back with a mohawk or a nose piercing.

As proficient as Barry is in the world of intelligence, he is sure is dense on picking up on how Lup is purposefully steering the two of them away from every beauty shop in their radius. There’s a boutique coming up their way? “Oh, look Barry! What a cool...rock.” A barber shop just in view? “Barry! Quick! There’s a talking cat over here! I’m not making this up!  _ C’mon! _ ” It’s ridiculous.

Nevertheless, Lup is thankful for her love’s obliviousness and uses it to her full advantage. They bypass several different salons and avoid making any purchases whatsoever except for the equipment they came down for.

But for as many times Lup can steer Barry away, he finds his own way of bringing up the issue.

“Do you think I should grow it out so it curls at the end? Ooh! Like that guy!”

“Eh...if you want to, honey.”

“Or maybe I should grow in a goatee? It’d give me more of a “rough boy” look, like Magnus says.”

“Mmm, maybe.” Lup makes a mental note to threaten to turn all of Magnus’ wooden furniture into ash if he  _ ever _ gives Barry more grooming advice.

Barry shoots her a look. “Is something wrong?”

Lup jumps. “What? Nope! Everything’s fine. What made you think I wasn’t?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Barry reaches down and takes her hand in his. “You just seem...a little distant, I guess.”

Lup puts on a smile faker than any wizard can conjure. “No, I’m fine...just a little tired, I guess.”

“Hmm,” Barry hums, unconvinced. Of course. The one thing he picks up on this whole trip and it’s the one thing Lup can’t distract him from it. Figures. She hopes he’ll say something, open his big dorky mouth and start talking about his mustache again. But he doesn’t.

They spend the rest of the trip in deafening silence.

 

The second they are back on ship, Lup retreats to her brother’s cabin.

“He’s onto me,” she whispers in a hushed tone as she slams the door behind her and presses her back to it.

Taako looks up from the spell book in his hand. “No need to be so quiet after almost breaking my door down like that. Who’s onto you?”

“Barry.”

Taako throws his book aside. “You finally cracked?! He knows you hate it?! Or did you already do the deed?!”

“No, I didn’t shave it!” Lup puts her head in her hands. “When we were in town, he asked me if something was wrong and I couldn’t convince him I was fine! Now he’s gonna act all nice and sweet and  _ supportive _ until he finally gets the truth outta me! ARGH!”

“Wow, he’s quite the asshole.”

“Shut up!”

“Look, Lulu, you know I love you with all my heart-I do-but please, for the sake of all of us here that aren’t Magnus, GET YOUR MAN TO SHAVE HIS STACHE!”

“SSSHHH! He might hear you!” Lup rushes over to her brother and puts a hand over his mouth. Taako licks it. “Gross! What are you? Five?!”

“Yeah, a hundred and five,” Taako quips. “Or a hundred and sixty five...sixty six? Do we count our reset years?”

It’s been a running joke ever since their twenty first cycle on whether or not they should start adding years onto their current age or celebrating their birthdays. Sometimes Taako and Magnus will belittle Merle into getting a senior discount as restaurants since he’s over three hundred years old just to get a good ribbing in. Other times Taako and her wait outside Barry’s door to pelt him with cupcakes and scream, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” In some cycles, the crew throws a collective birthday bash that lasts a least a week, with dozens of pastries and cakes, thoughtful presents, and party games. After so many decades, none of them ponder over their mortality anymore and simply embrace it as an afterthought.

However, something heavy sinks into Lup’s stomach. “Taako...we’ve been alive for a long time, haven’t we?”

Taako raises an eyebrow. “Well, longer than most, I suppose. Given we haven’t aged a day in sixty odd years.”

“No, like…” Lup tries to form the exact words she’s looking for, but she’s not sure what she’s trying to say. “We’ve just been... _.alive _ for so long…”

“Lup, what are you trying to say?”

A chill runs down Lup’s spine. “How many generations do you think we’ve outlived?”

“Of what? Humans? A few. Dwarves? Eh, just the old ones like Merle-”

“A few?”

A shadow passes over Taako the second Lup starts to tremble. “Lup? What’s wrong?”

“I...I gotta go,” she tells him, already halfway out the door.

 

It all makes sense to her now, why she hasn’t been able to concentrate on anything other than Barry’s fucking mustache. The pieces of the puzzle have all clicked together in her mind and the picture staring back at her is frowning at her in disgust. How did the truth evade her for so long? How did she never realize what the real problem had been from the start?

As she races down the halls of the Starblaster, Lup runs like tomorrow will never come, even though she has unlimited time. The words forming in her brain have finally stitched themselves together after weeks of construction and self-discovery. They can’t stay unspoken any longer.

Both the kitchen and the main deck are empty when she passes them, as is Magnus and Davenport’s cabins. She checks the engine room next and nearly cries when she finds that it’s in the same desolate state. Her legs push her even faster as she continues her search.

It was never about the mustache. It’s a shame how long it took her to figure that out.

The next cabin she checks is Lucretia’s. Lup swings the door open wildly, startling the journal keeper as she attempts to write something down. Standing beside her is Barry, cradling the equipment they picked up from their shopping trip in his arms.

“Lup?” he asks her, his voice rich with concern.

“Barry, we need to talk-” is all Lup can manage to say before her voice cracks. Almost Immediately, Barry is setting the equipment onto the ground and herding her out of the room.

“Lup, what’s-?” he tries to ask but Lup’s arms are wrapped so tightly around him his breathing is cut off. Barry holds onto her for as long as he can before he’s tapping on her shoulder to make him some room for air. “Are you okay? What happened? What’s wrong?”

Lup holds back a sob as tears start to stream down her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I should have told you from the start. I just didn’t want to hurt your feelings-”

“Whoa, wait, do you want to take this somewhere private-?”

“Barry, I hate your mustache.”

Whatever Barry was going to say next escapes him. His expression goes completely blank. “ Uh...o _ kay _ ?”

“But that’s not why I’m upset! Barry, I hate your mustache because it’s different-it’s a big change, even if you don’t think so. And I know all you wanted was a little change and I don’t want to take that away from you. But it just looks  _ so real _ on you sometimes, like you actually grew it out on your own and  _ and- _ !”

“Lup! Hey hey, slow down!” Barry brushes away a stray tear from her face. “I-I can’t tell what you’re trying to say.”

His hands are on her waist, holding her gently but firmly in front of him and Lup grounds herself on the fact that he’s  _ right here _ and everything is  _ fine _ and she has all the time in the world to tell him what’s wrong.

“Barry...one day, when we defeat The Hunger, you’re...y-you’re gonna age. You’re gonna get older. And...I will too, but...significantly slower and...I’m going to outlive you, Barry. A-And when you get older, you could grow a mustache that doesn’t last for only a couple of months until it’s taken away.” Lup laughs. “I’m...I’m going to have to watch you grow old and die  _ without me… _ ”

Lup closes her eyes, leaning her head down to rest on Barry’s shoulder. Her chest is about to burst from the sobs she has been holding back through her entire explanation. She just about loses it when Barry’s hands fall from her sides, but his arms are enveloped around her shortly later.

“Wow...I...I never really thought about that b-before,” he admits.

“‘M sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up-”

“Wha- why?” Barry leans back, forcing Lup to look at him. “Lup, this...this is important. It’s something we need to talk about.”

Lup shakes her head. “I know, but it doesn’t r-really matter, now that I think about it-”

”It  _ does _ matter.” The smile on Barry’s face wavers under the emotions that have been thrusted upon him. “Maybe it doesn’t now, maybe it won’t for a few years after we do defeat The Hunger...but, it’s...it’s gonna happen. I-wow...I am going to die before you. And...that sucks.”

Lup smiles back, her lips quivering. “Y-Yeah, it does.”

“But for right now-” Barry leans forward and kisses her. It’s tender and passionate but not at all rough; they have time to enjoy each kiss they share. When he pulls back, he presses his forehead to hers. “I’m here. I’m here with you. We’re going to treasure every waking moment we spend together . And when...when I  _ go _ , you better bet I’ll be waiting in the ethereal plane for you.”

Lup chuckles, her laugh weak and wet. “Babe...that’s super sappy. But...comforting...thank you.”

“It’s true, though.” Barry kisses her again, this one lasting a little longer. “I can only stick around for so long. But I swear I’m gonna stick around for as long as I can. And hey, we don’t know what’s going to happen to us in the future. We could become liches for all we know.”

“Now there’s a thought,” Lup comments absentmindedly. Then this time she kisses him first. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. To all the planes and back.”

 

“Y’know Barold,” Taako muses, carefully stirring the vegetables simmering in the frying on the stove, “I think you would look great in a toupee.”

Barry stops placing plates down for the crew’s evening meal and turns. “Really? You think so?”

“Oh my Gods, Taako, don’t you  _ dare _ ,” Lup warns him, pointing her filet knife at him.

“Hey! Safety in the kitchen! Don’t listen to her, Barry. She’s had the same haircut for forty years before we set off on this voyage,” Taako informs him.

“We have the same cut!”

“Different parts.”

“That doesn’t make any difference!”

Barry chuckles. “I appreciate the advice, Taako, but I like my look. I’ll have time later to try out a toupee. Or maybe a combover? Ooh, actually, now that I think about it-”

“Babe,  _ no _ .”

“Yeah, okay you’re right. No combover.”

“Alright, keep your dumb haircut,” Taako mutters. “Now keep plating! We have a fully booked table tonight!”

“You got it, chef!” Barry grins, returning back to work. Lup puts down her knife and picks up a stack of napkins. She carries it over to Barry, who generously takes it and sets it on the table. “Thanks, dear.” Then under his breath, he whispers, “Is my haircut really dumb?”

Lup shakes her head and plants a kiss on his cheek. “No, honey. You look perfect just the way you are.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, y'all, I love Taako and Barry's bromance. And Barry and Lup's romance. These three are gr8 together and I love them.
> 
> Thank you for reading or absently mindedly scrolling!


End file.
